Essence Music Festival to honor Michael Jackson

MUSIC

Stacey Plaisance, Associated Press

Published 4:00 am, Friday, July 3, 2009

Photo: Lennox McLendon, AP

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FILE - In a Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1986 file photo, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie receive a Grammy for best song of the year for their song "We Are the World" at the 28th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Richie, a longtime friend to Michael Jackson, says the country is in need of some healing after the pop star's recent death and the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans is going to provide the perfect remedy. Essence, which begins Friday, July 3, 2009 and runs through Sunday, will feature performances by Richie, Beyonce, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Anita Baker and a host of other artists. Organizers are now also planning a special tribute to Jackson. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File) less

FILE - In a Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1986 file photo, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie receive a Grammy for best song of the year for their song "We Are the World" at the 28th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. ... more

Photo: Lennox McLendon, AP

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Blues singer Thais Clark gets ready to rehearse Wed., July 1, 2009 in preparation for her debut at the Essence Music Festival, in New Orleans. ((AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)

Blues singer Thais Clark gets ready to rehearse Wed., July 1, 2009 in preparation for her debut at the Essence Music Festival, in New Orleans. ((AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)

Photo: Cheryl Gerber, AP

Essence Music Festival to honor Michael Jackson

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The celebration of black music and culture at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans will provide comfort to artists and fans alike after a tough week following Michael Jackson's death.

Singer Lionel Richie, festival headliner and a longtime friend of the pop superstar, says performing at Essence will give him and others a chance to regroup.

"We'll celebrate his life and come together as a family down there," Richie said. "It's New Orleans. The spirit of what the music business is all about is there. It really is to me one of those places that's like visiting my foundation."

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Magazine birthday

The festival, which began in 1995 to celebrate the birthday of Essence Magazine, begins Friday and runs through Sunday. It will include a tribute to Jackson, as well as performances by Beyoncé, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Anita Baker and others.

Richie, 60, collaborated with Jackson in 1985 and wrote what became one of the fastest-selling singles ever - "We Are the World" - a song produced to raise money for victims of the Ethiopian famine.

"I wanted him to be able to enjoy his life and his success, and he was never really able to do that," Richie said. "He just couldn't get there. For me, that was the tough part."

Richie said his performance Sunday will consist of favorites like "Zoom" and "Brick House," but he'll also sprinkle in a selection or two from "Just Go," his new CD.

"I know this audience," he said. "This is my audience. ... They want to hear as much old as I can play."

Essence also will include a host of New Orleans acts, such as Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and the brass band Big Sam's Funky Nation.

Challenges

As in years past, seminars addressing challenges in the black community, such as underachieving schools and single-parent households, will be held during the day at the Morial Convention Center, and concerts are slated for evenings at the Louisiana Superdome.

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